arena ISSUE 9
SUMMER 2012
London's Royal Arch masons prepare for the 2013 Anniversary and appeal
CONTENTS
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Obituary - VW Bro Peter Reynolds PGSwdB 1938-2012 "A younger mason speaks...." Letters to the Editor and Editorial The Masonic Charities and London Part III - The Grand Charity The Men at the Top - Paddy Johnson Met Grand Chapter kicks off London' s response to the 2013 SGC appeal Why should I visit ... one of the AMULL lodges? Sports and Social News- around up of what's going on in London What's "The Allied" degree all about? Opinion: a series of thoughts, views and ideas from senior masons Charity News
London Events: ALMONERS WORKSHOPS 19 Nov 2012 SCRIBES & TREASURERS SEMINARS 2 Jul 2012 GOLF 3 Aug 2012 CyberKnife Charity Golf Day at Aldenham Golf Club. 11 Sep 2012 Captain’s Day at Orsett Golf Club. RA SEMINARS Explore Royal Arch history, symbolism, ritual, etc: Level 1 - 9 Oct 2012 Level 2 - 20 Nov 2012 Club. SHOOTING 1 Sep 2012 - Home Counties Inter-Provincial shoot at Sporting Targets, Bedfordshire 24 Nov 2012 - MetGL CSA Xmas shoot at Sporting Targets, Beds CRICKET 29 Jul 2012 (tbc) MetGL – v – Middlesex at the Masonic School for Girls, 19 Aug 2012 MetGL – v - Northants & Hunts (Andrew Henderson Memorial Trophy
The Men at the Top - Derrick Silver
PASSING THE VEILS Demonstration hosted by The Sanitarian Chapter on 24 October 2012.
Masonic City - "The Devil" Tavern, Fleet Street
OLYMPIC DINNER 21 July 2012
The correspondence of W. Bros Warren Peace & Phil. E Stein
OLYMPIC LODGE MEETING 10 Aug 2012
Founding Editor: Bryan Green Editor: David Roberts-Jones General enquiries: arena@metgl.com Journalists: Chris Starnes; Vaughan Williams, Michael Buras, Charles Grace, Michael Messent, Chris Clark, Nicholas Le Poidevin, Brian Saidman, Mike Jones, Les Little, Ian Watson, Bill Sullivan, Paul Calderwood Graphics and layout: Greg Smith Photography: Dave Luckins, John Carr, Stephen Gold, Martin Cargill Advertising Sales: Pat McEnery
To contact the Editor with features or letters for the next edition of arena, please contact by post to: arena, MetGL/MetGC, PO Box 29055, London WC2B 5UN or by e-mail to d.robertsjones@metgl.com
© Metropolitan Grand Lodge/Metropolitan Grand Chapter. All rights reserved. For editorial matters, please contact the Editor. Comment and articles reflect the writers’ own personal views. The Metropolitan Grand Lodge and the Metropolitan Grand Chapter, as well as the United Grand Lodge of England may not subscribe to, or agree with those views. The publishers cannot be held responsible for loss or damage to any unsolicited manuscripts or photographs.
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O B I T U A R Y:
Peter Reynolds B
rethren of all ranks and ages will have been saddened to hear that VW Bro Peter Reynolds, PGSwdB and Assistant Metropolitan Grand Master/Grand Superintendent lost his long battle with cancer on May 23rd 2012. Peter was greatly admired, respected and often described as a "force of nature" in Freemasonry. Yet his extraordinary dynamic enthusiasm and authority sat comfortably with an abiding respect and concern for his fellow Man. He will be missed not only for his wideranging and indefatigable "ownership" of whatever jobs he undertook in masonry but for his razor sharp wit and humour at festive board and beyond. Although he had lived in the South for many years, Peter Reynolds was a proud Yorkshireman and like the county stereotype always exuded a practical “no-nonsense” air of strong, individual determination. Born in Snaith, East Yorkshire, he attended Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, Wakefield, and, like all men of his generation, did his national service thereafter. Following demobilisation, Peter studied quantity surveying and once qualified, joined James Miller, the well-known construction company based in Leeds. After a few years, he began to find the job boring and seeing an advertisement saying “express yourself and earn a good living!” he joined the state-owned Italian company Olivetti on their systems side as a salesman at the nascence of the computer industry. As Peter once put it “they now give away free calculators at petrol stations that are probably more powerful in computing terms than our machines of that time!” Promotion followed and in 1966 he went from the Midlands office to SUMMER 2012
VW Bro. Peter Reynolds PGSwdB 1938 - 2012 Assistant Metropolitan Grand Master Leeds to run the whole of the North of England. Further promotion followed and he was transferred to head up the London office. In 1971, Peter and his best friend Derek Whiting decided that they wanted to work for themselves and founded DPI, the company which 40 years later was still headed by Peter! The two went to the bank manager at the Midland bank and (although both were married by this time with two children each) put up their houses as collateral for a start-up loan for the new company’s working capital. Their business plan was approved and they moved into what Peter described as “mouse-infested” premises in Clerkenwell just outside the City of London, from where they concentrated on selling computer systems analysis and engineering to a wide range of financial institutions in the City.
Peter did not come to masonry until his mid-thirties, concentrating instead on his career and raising his two children Richard and Helen with his wife Cynthia. He recounted that his father-in-law (a senior mason in the Province of West Yorkshire) had invited him and his wife to several ladies' nights. Enjoying it as he did, he felt sure that it was only a matter of time before he was asked to join. Nothing happened. It was only sometime afterwards that the topic came up in conversation and he found that his father-in-law had been waiting for Peter to ask about it! In the meantime he had been invited by his close friend Les Little, to join his Lodge and was initiated into Bishopsgate Lodge No. 2396 in 1977 and, quite normally with the amount of members “in the queue” in those days, became Master in 1989, having already joined the Lodge of True Friendship No. 6631 in 1987. As Secretary of Bishopsgate Lodge in 1995 he was in place to make the arrangements for the first official visit of the then new Assistant Grand Master, Lord Northampton who praised his attention to detail and with whom Peter remained in touch thereafter. He was promoted to London Grand Rank in 1995 and LGCR in 1998. As a successful businessman, Peter was keen on efficiency. Unsurprising then to learn that he was a significant driver in the massive changes and improvements in MetGL/GC practice in the last few years. From his early work as a Group committee member to being a Group Chairman in 2006, his push was always for self-improvement for London. His service was rewarded in 2007 when he was invited to become one of the Assistant Metropolitan 3
Grand Masters of the new Metropolitan Area, since when his passion for improvement was seen in projects such as the R3M, which lay under his remit. To the many whose lives had been touched in their Masonic careers, Peter was more than an extraordinary leader, inspiration and exemplar, he was a very close friend. Those in his R3M team were privileged to be entrusted with giving effect to those important initiatives that were so near and dear to his heart. He was a member of four Installed Masters Lodges amongst his tally of 9 lodges and 5 Chapters and was a keen proponent of "bringing" Metropolitan directly to the membership, with his indefatigable visiting programme,
whether official or not. In 2000, Derek Whiting decided he would like to retire and it seemed that the best way to do this was to organise a trade sale to an external partner. The new partnership did not work out well and Peter decided to go it alone, even though his own notional retirement age was imminent. This was a decision he did not regret. As he said himself, “those who have been in charge of their own destiny will know the joy of working for oneself, where you make the decisions!” Being in charge allowed him the time to concentrate on masonic activity particularly as noted above, on the strategic direction and administrative side – as one would
expect from an experienced businessman. We know how valiant he had been in confronting his illness and one might think he had convinced all of us that his indomitable spirit could prevail. Even though the inevitable loomed large, it is still hard to believe that he has been taken from us and he will be sadly missed from within our ranks. The many hundreds, if not thousands, whose lives he touched will feel that they have lost a true friend. Again, we come back to Peter’s maxim: “if I can’t make a difference, then I don’t want to be involved!” It is surely to London’s benefit that Peter got involved and made such a very significant difference...
A Younger Masons view Newly initiated into Lillistone Manor and Finsbury Lodge No. 861, Bro Daniel Fosker writes...
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t seemed like an eternal wait for me from when I first met some of the members of the lodge at my interview through to the Initiation. In the weeks before my Initiation, my Father, Bro. John Fosker, who proposed me and Bro. Bob Hassan who seconded me, both spoke to me and assured me that I shouldn’t be nervous and that it would be an enjoyable experience, although they gave nothing away My sponsors advised me that I was expected to say a few words at the festive board and these were written over the course of a holiday prior to the big day and "learned" on the plane home on the morning of the Initiation. I wasn’t sure whether I was more nervous about making a speech from the top table or the Initiation process! 4
The journey to the Bar where we met beforehand went without any hiccups and I was pleased to see a few faces that I knew from outside Freemasonry taking some refreshment beforehand. It didn’t take long before the jokes about Goats and various other things started. Even though it’s a ridiculous idea that someone would be allowed to bring a Goat into the lodge, looking back now, there was a fractional part of me that questioned whether this was in fact true! Everyone then moved upstairs to the Temple, although I was led to the Lobby and told to wait for another gentleman who was being initiated at the same time. We both knew that we were to meet each other in the lobby, but our problem was that everyone was walking in and out in
black suits! After several smiles and half waves to random men followed by weird looks back I managed to find my fellow initiate! The initiation process went smoothly, being in the safe hands of Bro. Bob who was acting as the Deacon, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience, something that I will never forget. What stood out for me after the Ceremony, was how friendly and welcoming our Lodge is, everyone introduced themselves and congratulated me. However, the icing on the cake had to be getting my wine topped up all night by my Father, who is one of the Lodge Stewards! I now look forward to many more evenings in the company of my fellow Freemasons.
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Letters to the Editor Dear Bro. David, I noted Bro. Coddington’s letter in the last issue and can confirm that The Future of Freemasonry Report is published on the News & Information page of the external website www.londonmasons.org.uk. It was placed there within days of UGLE release but was delayed until we received from UGLE the link to the FMT website on which they had placed the Report. As MetIO I received advanced notification of the publication of the Report from UGLE which included hard and pdf copies of the report and other guidance information but I considered that the FMT link preferable to placing the pdf version on our site. W. Bro. Mark Stollery, PAGSwdB provided a commentary to accompany the publication of the Report but for reasons beyond our control this was not added to our external website publication for some 2 weeks. This has been corrected with the assistance of all concerned. I trust you and our brethren find the external website gives a good impression of London masons and our support of the community. It provides sound information for interested persons including
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potential candidates, their families and friends. A useful “tool” for mentors! As you mentioned in your article, we are always wanting contributions from brethren, Lodges and Chapters to keep our website fresh and current. We are working with the Deputy Met GM and others to review how we make further progress in delivering our message to the wider public. We have had success from recipient organizations. For example, 3 hospices acknowledged the support of London Freemasons in their newsletters reaching more than 50,000 of their supporters. We have made a start but have a long way to go. Yours s&f, Geoff Gillo Metropolitan Information Officer
Sir, We in the Province of Sussex are looking at ways of distributing our magazine, "The Sussex Deacon", to our 5100 members more cost effectively. We have recently switched from normal franked letters to business post, however with the Royal Mail price increase and the addition of VAT has brought a total
increase in post costs of 41%. Clearly this is unsustainable. For those brethren with email a solution would be to email a notice saying that the latest issue of the Deacon has been published and is available on our website, but the best we have managed so far is a simple .pdf file; it looks ok, but is perhaps more likely to lose readers than gain them! Then I received a “viral” link to your magazine, arena, and my whole perspective changed! Not only is arena a visually more attractive magazine, but the simulated “page-turning” makes the electronic version almost tactile. Furthermore the ability to click web site addresses and email addresses and be taken directly to the selected location is a terrific plus since it becomes a “Book Mark bar” in its own right. I plan to implement such an IT solution with our Autumn issue. We will continue to publish in traditional paper form because 40% of our readership don’t have, or admit to having, email/internet access and many of those that do will still want hard copy. I don’t envy you that task in MetGL; 40% of 38,000 by post, is half the national budget! That will have solved my declared problem. My so far undeclared problem is how to update the style of the Deacon. I modestly say that it is pretty good as it is, but compared with arena it is old hat. I like the curves, the greater use of different fonts, the bold use of colour and white-space. As to content, it is full of interesting and well-written articles, mostly about matters affecting MetGL and Freemasonry as whole. In Sussex we try to do that too, but try also to include a large number of articles from or about ISSUE 9
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individual lodges and brethren. Not something that arena could easily accommodate given the scale of MetGL. Thank you for raising the bar. Alan Woods, PProvJGD, LGR Editor, The Sussex Deacon Thank you Bro. Alan for your kind comments. If there is anything the arena team can to do to privately advise or assist, please let me know!
Dear Sir Like many family men and their wives or partners from all over the country, we recently travelled into London to support my stepdaughter Sara, as she ran the London Marathon 2012. As Sara told us later, the continuous crowd support along the whole 26 miles was a vital motivator to all the runners to keep going. Even though her knee "went " at the 18th mile, she continued, blistered but unbowed and hobbled to the finish line in just over 5 hours. She was running for the British Heart Foundation in memory of her late father and whilst watching the tide of runners passing, all intent on running for "their" cause, the thought occurred to me, that with tens of freemason runners surely running the marathon alongside Sara, there must surely be enough to put together a team running publicly under the Metropolitan banner, akin perhaps in one way to the visibility of the Lord Mayor's Show, albeit dressed somewhat differently? Just a thought. Yours faithfully and fraternally Ian Keech LGR Old Bedfordian Lodge No. 4732 Thank you Bro. Keech. I can see some SUMMER 2012
difficulties but hope that the suggestion is picked up - the marathon passes very close to my house and it would be good to be able to cheer on a specific Metropolitan masonic team!
Dear Editor Navigating around Porchway recently, from submitting VO reports to checking RA Representatives such is the life of an SVO - I suddenly found my mouse hovering on the arena link. I have to admit that I had not touched that since its launch when sadly I had struggled to open it, struggled to read it and struggled even to see the point in it! Suddenly there was the Spring 2012 edition before my eyes. Thirty six pages of well-designed and wellwritten magazine that had covered my screen in an instant and which I could even print out. I read it from cover to cover, so to speak, and the VO report had to wait! Congratulations you have now increased your readership by one and I will be recommending arena now to all my friends if, like me, they were ignorant of the tremendous improvements that the magazine has undergone. Of course any publication which is about London Freemasonry and for London Freemasons has some difficult issues to report on. I have to say in my view there could be more column inches on the topics that affect us all at the moment and which your pages could debate. The opinion on Mentoring was a good one, but whilst it is great fun to see what our leaders looked like when younger, I personally would have preferred to read more on how we may be able to address the problems we currently have within
Freemasonry in general our Metropolitan area in particular. Well done Editor but let's have a few less platitudes and more opinion and debate! Yours Sincerely Stanley Haines PAGDC PGStB(RA) Lodge Fidelis 5405. Dear Bro. Stanley, thank you for your letter. You will see further "opinion" on page 24 of this issue - controversial or not, it is up to you. Incidentally I don't yet have an opinion piece for Autumn 2012, if you're offering...!
Editorial
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he very sad news of Bro. Peter's death necessarily displaced the usual Editorial page 3, but perhaps I can squeeze a few lines in here? Readers will be glad to know that arena is now starting to gain real traction and our online readership (or leafing -through ship!) is strongly growing, for which I am very grateful. Please do continue to send ideas for articles, letters or other submissions, remembering that it must be of interest to London as a whole rather than your own unit in particular! Likewise, I would also be grateful if any brethren who wished to be added to a new arena development - an online "arena opinions forum" could contact me at arena@metgl.com S&F Editor Gerald & Lillian Gordon 7
THE MASONIC CHARITIES A N D L O N D O N PA R T I I I :
The Grand Charity We continue our look at the main masonic charities with a look at The Freemasons’ Grand Charity. This charity started operations in 1981, taking over the activities of The Grand Lodge Board of Benevolence. The Board had for many years been the general source of benevolence for those falling on hard times. Chris Starnes from arena met Siobhan McCarthy, the Grand Chairty’s Head of Marketing and Communications, to find out a little more about what the Charity has been doing particularly with regard to London.
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n its 30 years’ existence, the Grand Charity has supported thousands of Freemasons and their dependants and hundreds of charities from the world outside Freemasonry with grants totalling well over £100 million. The Charity is run from Freemasons' Hall in London and is supported by every Mason under the English Constitution. Its role is to make grants to help: • individual Masons or their dependants who are in need these are called Masonic Relief Grants; • non-Masonic charities whose work covers the whole of England and Wales, or those dealing with emergency relief work worldwide • other Masonic Charities in times of need. We explore in the rest of this article some of the good work that this Charity does, using the millions of pounds that it receives in answer to the question posed to all freemasons and considered by them frequently since the original: “Have you anything to give in the cause of charity?” Help towards the Masonic community Masonic Relief Grants provided
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for Freemasons and their dependants in financial need may be renewed annually and there is no limit to the number of grants that any individual may receive over their lifetime. They are awarded for: • essential daily living expenses, which includes the costs of food, clothing and heating and lighting, after taking income and some state benefits into account; and • unexpected needs, for example outstanding funeral bills, minor home repairs, or hardship faced following an accident, redundancy, or other personal crisis. In total, last year over 2,000 people were assisted by the Grand Charity with grants approved totalling £4.3 million. The majority of people assisted are aged 60 to 80 and widows and other dependants remain the largest single group of beneficiaries. In many cases, grants are made to alleviate ongoing need and over 70% of individuals have received support for a number of years. The following two case studies illustrate the type of support that can be given. (NB: the names have been changed to preserve confidentiality). ISSUE 9
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Jim’s story A typical pattern is exemplified by Jim, who owned a small electrical business and supported his wife and two young children, along with his elderly mother. As his primary client base in the construction industry retrenched, his order book dried up and the clients he had supplied became bad debts. Despite taking a second mortgage on his home, he was unable to keep the business going and eventually had to declare bankruptcy. Faced with no income and mounting debts, he became withdrawn and eventually stopped going to Lodge meetings. Fortunately his Lodge Almoner sought him out. An emergency grant from the Grand Charity was approved which gave him the time he needed to sell his home and cover temporary accommodation and other essential living costs. In the past six months Jim has found a new job and stabilised his family situation. Non Masonic charities One of the reasons that The Freemasons’ Grand Charity was established was to enable the Craft, as a whole, to make donations to charities with no Masonic connection. With these grants The Freemasons’ Grand Charity seeks to achieve three objectives: • To make a significant difference to people in real need. • To support issues that individual Freemasons and their families are concerned about and will be glad to be helping. • To support projects that achieve a long-term impact In the year to end November 2011, £2.6 million was donated to charities SUMMER 2012
across England and Wales. All applications received by the office are reviewed against agreed Council guidelines such as that the charity must be national: charities that serve only a local area are not eligible for support from The Freemasons’ Grand Charity and are advised to seek funding from local or Provincial/Metropolitan Lodges. Air Ambulance In this busy year for London, with both the Jubilee celebrations and the Olympics taking place, a huge increase in visitors will require adjustments being made to timetables. Occasionally traffic comes to a standstill and when this happens during a medical emergency occurs it can have tragic effects. As Masons we should feel proud that Grand Charity has given over one million pounds to Air
Ambulances in the UK since 2007 including an £8000 donation to the London Air Ambulance for 2012. Medical research The funding of medical research is of real benefit to the wider community and is a very important area of the grant making programme. Since 1981 over £8 million has been given to this cause. Occasionally the Grand Charity is fortunate enough to receive news that research the Charity has funded has achieved a very tangible, positive result. This was the case recently, following a grant of £50,000 made in 2007 to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation towards research into diabetes treatment. Their research team worked to create an artificial pancreas for children, to be used overnight to monitor blood glucose levels and administer insulin automatically. In 9
low-income families, the elderly, the homeless, refugees, asylum seekers, and those affected by mental ill health. Youth The Grand Charity also seeks to improve opportunities for young people, with over £4 million donated to this cause in the last thirty years. A significant focus of this support is for the most disadvantaged, at-risk youth in society to help them to gain the necessary skills for employment and social integration and to move on from difficult situations. Support is also given to organisations helping a broad range of young people to get the most out of life, such as our £500,000 grant to the Scout Association, which is also helping London Scouts. 2010, it was announced this research has been successful, potentially reducing the devastating complications of the disease for millions. It is anticipated that the results will contribute to the medical and regulatory acceptance of the device at home and for the eventual use for Adults as well. Needless to say, the Council of the Grand Charity is delighted that the grant has led to such a positive outcome and have made a further grant of £50,000 in 2011 for research into the prevention of complications from diabetes, specifically neuropathy or nerve damage. Vulnerable people The “Vulnerable People” category encompasses national organisations which deal with a wide variety of problems including: disability, care for the seriously ill, care for exarmed services, deprivation, homelessness and poverty, and over £20 million has been donated for this purpose over the last thirty years. Within this category a new national initiative has been established whereby the Charity approves a major grant of £250,000 each year, to a cause that receives particular support from Freemasons. The donation is split into smaller grants which are delivered by the Provincial Grand Lodges to the local branches of a selected national charity, in a similar manner to the Air Ambulance grants. 10
The second national grant was announced in 2011 – a quarter of a million pounds to Parkinson’s UK. The money helped to fund exercise classes, as well as patient therapies and other aspects of care, such as help with transportation. The money has also been used towards funding new, specially trained Parkinson’s nurses. The Council of the Grand Charity are aware that many Freemasons have experience of what it is like to live with Parkinson’s, either through a friend or family connection, which has been a key reason why the Charity was selected for this national grant which followed a £180,000 grant in 2007 for research into what causes Parkinson’s, research which has made a significant step towards understanding the disease. The Charity also awards minor grants. Age Exchange, based in London, recently received a grant of £2,000 which will be used to help fund projects which help elderly people, especially those in care and with dementia, through reminiscence-based creative projects. These may include theatre, dance and other similar activities. During 2011, FoodCycle, also based in London, received a grant of £3,150. FoodCycle combines volunteers, surplus food, and spare kitchen spaces to create nutritious meals for people at risk from food poverty. FoodCycle feed lots of different groups of people, including
Hospices One of the most popular beneficiaries amongst Freemasons is that of hospice services. For over 20 years, the Grand Charity has made an annual contribution towards the multi-million pound running costs of hospices which receive 60% or less of their funding from the NHS. During this time, over £9 million pounds has been donated to these services and in 2011, £600,000 was distributed amongst 229 hospices throughout England and Wales. Every year the Grand Charity donates to London Hospices, having now given £571,691. Disaster relief The Grand Charity also seeks to respond when disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes and flooding occur throughout the world. Such events are frequently supported by an emergency grant made under the authority of the President of the Grand Charity. Many of the grants for international disasters are made via the British Red Cross, the two organisations enjoy an excellent working relationship and the Red Cross recognises the Grand Charity as one of its staunchest supporters. Most recently grants have been given to assist following the floods in the Philippines, famine in East Africa, the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and the earthquake in New Zealand.
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Relief Chest Scheme The Grand Charity also provides a service to Lodges, Chapters, and other recognised Masonic organisations, called the Relief Chest Scheme which provides an effective way to give to charity. The Scheme greatly reduces the demands on Brethren responsible for fundraising, by claiming Gift Aid on all qualifying donations, providing efficient administration and record-keeping services and ensuring that all statutory requirements are met. The Grand Charity also obtains a favourable rate of interest on donations held which is added to the
individual Relief Chests. To emphasise the importance of Gift Aid, over the past five years the Grand Charity’s Relief Chest Scheme has reclaimed more than £3.7m from HMRC, which has been added to over 4,400 relief chests! As can be seen, the Grand Charity is a truly remarkable institution helping mason and non-mason alike as it cost-effectively channels the assistance raised by us and needed by its beneficiaries!
T H E M E N AT T H E T O P :
PADDY JOHNSON We know VW Bro Dr Patrick (“Paddy”) Johnson PGSwdB as one of the six Assistant Metropolitan Grand Masters appointed to his position in 2009 but what are his interests, what is his doctorate in and what is he like on a personal basis? In the latest in our series of interviews with the “men at the Top”, arena met with Paddy on behalf of our readership!
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lthough born in Bristol, Paddy’s early life was spent in Cirencester in Gloucestershire, his parents having moved there prior to the war in 1938, and this was where he attended his Prep school and Cirencester Grammar School, at that time one of the oldest grammar schools in the country and which also educated Edward Jenner and Wally Hammond to name just two of its luminaries! It should be mentioned that Paddy was an active member of his school’s CCF (Combined Cadet Force), reaching county standard in shooting (for 303 rifle) where he rose to be under– officer and which gave him a taste of military life from an early age. Knowing what to expect in service
V W Bro Paddy Johnson at about the time of his initiation into Freemasonry
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life from this CCF experience and seeking to avoid a dull, “standard”, National Service experience, Paddy decided to train for three years as a physiotherapist, followed by six months hydrotherapy and he followed this with five years at medical school in Bristol. Whilst at University, Paddy was a medical cadet (basically a military scholarship) combining the two key elements in his life thus far of military and medical matters. This meant that he “had the money to enjoy university!” which he enjoyed very much. Having completed his year as a Houseman, Paddy went full-time in the RAF. He was posted to RAF Changi in Singapore but was ordered back to the UK to take a job
Masonic Career 1976 Initiated into Oxshott Lodge No. 7622, aged 39 1986 WM, Oxshott Lodge No. 7622 (also WM for 75th anniversary too!) 1988 Exalted into United Chapter of Prudence No. 12 1992 MEZ, United Chapter of Prudence No. 12 1993 Joined North Surrey Lodge of Installed Masters, No.5905 (WM 2006) 1994 PPrAGDC (Surrey) 1998 Provincial SGW (Surrey) and LGCR 2000 Joined Esher Chapter 5491 and North Surrey First Principals Chapter 5905 2002 PAGDC 2003 Joined Castlemartyr Lodge 8420 and East Surrey Installed Masters Lodge 5888 2003 APGM (Surrey) 2004 PSGD 2006 Met Grand Inspector and SLGCR 2007 Joined London Warwickshire Lodge No. 3486 2009 AMetGM, PGSwdB and AMetGSupt 2010 Joined Britannic Lodge No. 33 Is an honorary member of several other lodges and is in Rose Croix, KT and Mark ISSUE 9
at Headley Court, the well-known medical hospital and injured servicemen’s rehabilitation centre in Surrey where he stayed for four years, obtaining a Diploma in Physical Medicine and being recognised as a Specialist in Physical Medicine, Rheumatology and Rehabilitation in the RAF. In 1972 Paddy decided to move into general practice (in the days where, he recounts, night calls were not only routine but an expected part of the health service and which as the junior partner in the practise he was required to do the greater share of.... “in order to get experience!”) and ruefully compares the salaries of yesteryear with the average remuneration of today’s GP! His initial practice was in Leatherhead and that is where he stayed for the next 29 years, retiring from medicine in 2001 as Senior Partner. One of Paddy’s earliest memories, if not his earliest, is of being in a large room space, with a black and white floor and which, he remembers had two very large pillars – this may seem familiar to most of us! – and imagines that far from being any imaginary children’s play space, that he is remembering being placed on the floor whilst his mother (a lady mason) and her friends practised their ritual at LOI! Another familial link is that his grandfather was an active English
arena mason in Ramsgate and whose Grand Lodge certificate, dated 1906, is still in Paddy’s possession and which he regularly shows to new master masons to demonstrate the difference between the certificates of then and now, when called upon to present certificates as he is often asked to do when visiting a Lodge. Paddy explains that although he had expressed a general interest in joining freemasonry in 1970 whilst in the RAF, nothing came of it and he actually joined in 1976 having been out of the services for four years. As an integral part of the local Leatherhead community as both a community doctor and a JP it was thus perhaps inevitable that he joined Surrey Lodge No 7622. He progressed through the ranks of his Lodge and became well-known locally for his work as DC and Preceptor of the LOI and was awarded PPAGDC (Surrey) in1994. His excellent work led to selection as an active officer of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Surrey in 1998 as ProvSGW and as a visiting officer. This was followed by his being awarded Grand Rank in 2002 (PAGDC)and then being called up by the Provincial Grand Master in 2003 for interview as an Assistant PGM, which, to his surprise, he passed and held this office until 2009. But how did he get to London?
Oddly enough, Paddy was not in a London Lodge but was a member of Chapter No. 12 (Chapter of Prudence) which meets in London and he opines, may have been "reasonably well known for my ritual work". Be that as it may, he was invited by Lord Millett to become one of the newly founded Metropolitan Grand Inspectors, having special responsibilities on the Royal Arch side. Clearly, his work with the VO's and SVO's who reported to him must have impressed his superiors again because in 2009 he was invited by the Metropolitan Grand Master, Russell Race to become one of the six Assistant Met Grand Masters -a telephone call which he remembers taking in Sainsbury's checkout queue ( in Leatherhead of course!) of all places!
Five things you didn't know about Paddy Johnson:
1 Had a narrow boat on the Grand Union Canal 2 Is a Master Scuba Diver (having gained his original PADI certificate in Israel) 3 Is a Justice of the Peace but is now on the Supplementary list, having been active for 17 years 4 Hates tripe but likes Brussels sprouts! 5 Holds a Yachtmaster Ocean ceetificate with a Westerly Sea Hawk
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C O V E R S T O R Y:
Metropolitan Grand Chapter kicks off its response to the 2013 SGC appeal W
e refer on page 25 to the latest total collected on behalf of the MMC Cyberknife appeal. One can see that with just a further concentrated fundraising heave, such as the sponsored activities described on pages 26 and 27, this appeal will be completed. It is probably appropriate therefore that we give space to the plans for the 2013 Supreme Grand Chapter Bicentenary Appeal and how London Royal Arch masons (and generous lodges!) can provide their support through a suggested per capita donation of only £12.50. The moneys being raised by this appeal will go towards adding further surgical research fellowships at the Royal College of Surgeons of England ("RCSE") (pictured top right), based only a stone's throw away from Great Queen Street on the south side of Lincoln's Inn Fields. The Royal Arch Masons’ Bicentenary Appeal will enable the RCSE to award more Fellowships. This support is desperately needed as surgical research is startlingly underfunded with less than 2% of UK funding raised for medical research going to surgical projects, despite over 30% of NHS hospital admissions every year requiring surgical treatment! “The research fellowship enabled me to investigate the changes occurring in early osteoarthritis, a debilitating disease affecting millions of people worldwide. Improved early
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understanding of disease has identified possible treatment targets. Furthermore this prestigious award has helped to attract additional funding from other sources and spurred me on to pursue a career in academic surgery.” Matthew Gardiner. Royal College of Surgeons / Freemasons Research Fellow The current appeal neatly echoes the moneys raised for the Craft sesqui-bicentennial celebrations of Grand Lodge in 1967, which set up a fund named "The Grand Lodge 250th Anniversary Fund", dedicated to providing a set of permanently endowed surgical fellowships. The fund was set up through voluntary offerings from virtually all the lodges then in existence, set at a suggested £1 per lodge member, the idea being that all of the craft would be invited to contribute. A total of £504, 891.16.5d was raised and the capital invested so as to produce an income sufficient to endow 3 research fellowships per year. The fund has done well and is capitalised currently at around £3.15 million today , depending on the level of the stock market. This is of course after having already paid out a total of £4,065,308 in fellowship grants over the intervening 45 years! With the then Grand Master. Lord Scarborough's statement of 1965 in mind, that "the fund has the potential to promote surgical science for as long as one can foresee", it has
been decided to supplement the original fund with an additional injection of capital so that the number of masonic surgical research fellowships can be increased. It is interesting to note, albeit perhaps slightly self-congratulatorily, that just like the Cyberknife, the work of the fund benefits all of Society, rather than just a specifically maleoriented medical issue, the premise behind the research being that it should benefit all and not just freemasons. Comparing surgical knowledge and techniques of today with those of yesteryear is invidious but clearly "keyhole" surgery and other advances would not have been made without the type of specific surgical research which these fellowships are designed to support and which are clearly and openly acknowledged by the College as being funded by Freemasonry. One last point to note is one of value-for-money in these straitened times. Whilst the money raised in this Chapter appeal will be separately accounted for, the funds will be fungible with those of the 250 Fund and administered as if they were one larger fund, giving sufficient economies of scale that it is hoped to be able to fund two further annual research fellowships. For further details on how your Chapter can contribute, log on to Porchway or refer to the Chapter Second Rising page recently sent to all Scribes E. ISSUE 9
W H Y S H O U L D I V I S I T. . .
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One of the AMULL Lodges? We continue our series of "visiting" articles by departing somewhat from the usual single lodge format to describe why a London mason might wish to visit a member Lodge of AMULL - the Association of Medical, University and Legal Lodges.
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The historic Chapel at Lincoln’s Inn
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lthough AMULL is a national body, as can be seen from the table overleaf, many of its extensive list of member lodges are based in London and arena thought it might aid the decision-making process by suggesting that brethren attend the forthcoming AMULL festival. This year’s AMULL Festival for members, spouses, partners and friends will take place at Lincoln’s Inn London, on Saturday 15th September and is being hosted by Chancery Bar Lodge No.2456. The Great Hall and the historic Chapel will provide an ideal setting for a day of good fellowship, thoughtful reflection, and sumptuous food and drink as well as an opportunity for nonmembers to learn something more about AMULL itself and its constituent lodges.
History In 1999, several like-minded Freemasons decided to form an association of professional and academic Lodges that would hold an annual festival similar to the Festival of the Public School Lodges’ Council and that of the Oxford and Cambridge Lodges' Council. The association would consist of the principal medical and dental, university, and legal Lodges. The leading light in this initiative was the late W. Bro Dr Sandy Greer, a member of the Lodge associated with St Bartholomew’s Hospital of
Cyberknife fame – Rahere Lodge, No. 2546. His initiative was supported by W. Bro John Harvey PSGD, W. Bro Michael Pugh SLGR, and W. Bro Charles Akle PJGD and soon a working party was formed which grew into the present committee with full backing from UGLE in the person of VW Bro Graham Redman PGSwdB, AGS and the first AMULL Festival was hosted by Rahere Lodge No. 2546 in 2001. The universities were initially represented by Imperial College and London University but the list has grown substantially as shown overleaf.
Objectives AMULL aims to bring together these professional and academic Lodges and to hold an annual Festival which enables them to publicise their charitable and other works. The Festival also involves wives and other non-Masonic guests completely as there is no masonic ceremony although there is a clear masonic theme. The Festival is held at a venue which is unusual and not always available to the general public and consists of an inter-faith service, an interesting and entertaining lecture, and a champagne reception followed by a lunch at the venue. A charity is designated by the committee and funds collected at the meal go to promote its bursaries scheme for undergraduates. 15
The AMULL Lodges Medical Lodges • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Gihon Sancta Maria, No. 49* Æsculapius, No. 2410* Rahere, No. 2546* Cavendish, No. 2620* Royal London Hospital, No. 2845* Lodge Chère Reine, No. 2853* Cheselden, No. 2870* Misericordia, No. 3286* In Arduis Fidelis, No. 3432* Westminster Hospital, No. 5292* Royal Dental Hospital, No. 7099* John Snow, No. 7715* Joseph Lister, No. 8032 St Luke in Essex, No. 8714
University Lodges • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Apollo University, No. 357 Isaac Newton University, No. 859 University of London, No. 2033* Universities, No. 2352 University of Edinburgh, No. 2974* University of Durham, No. 3030* Trinity College Dublin, No. 3153* University of Sheffield, No. 3911 University of Liverpool, No. 4274 University of Chester, No. 4477 Imperial College, No. 4536* University Of Birmingham, No. 5628 Southampton University, No. 7022
Legal Lodges • • • •
Chancery Bar, No. 2456* Western Circuit, No. 3154* Inventions, No. 3776* Gray’s Inn, No. 4938*
*denotes a Metropolitan Lodge
The 2012 Festival Saturday 15th September 2012 Lincoln’s Inn is one of the four Inns of Court (colleges of barristers) which have been qualifying advocates since the fourteenth Century. The elevenacre site, with extensive gardens, often comes as a surprise to the visitor, since the entrances are discreet and it is a working institution, not a museum. John Donne, who was preacher of the Inn and who later became Dean of St. Paul's, laid the foundation stone of the present Chapel in 1620. Opened in 1845 by Queen Victoria and to the North, the Great Hall is a spectacular location for large scale events and is where attendees will assemble in the morning and where lunch will be served. The earliest of Lincoln's Inn's present buildings is the Old Hall, built in the 1490s with contributions from members, including Sir Thomas More and is home to Chancery Bar Lodge No 2456 which is hosting the Festival on behalf of AMULL. Next door is the Chapel, where the Ecumenical Service will be held after which attendees will proceed to the Great Hall to be entertained by David Battie, one of the experts from the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow, followed by a Champagne reception and a fittingly-magnificent lunch. All in all, AMULL are certain that Lincoln’s Inn will prove an aweinspiring and specifically unusual setting for their 2012 Festival.
Ticket arrangements Tickets priced £110 each can be
purchased by cheque or bank transfer. To pay by cheque, please complete the booking form (which can be obtained from mikejones42@btinternet.com) and send it with your cheque (payable to AMULL’) to C.P. Noon Esq., Christ Church, Oxford, OX1 1DP. To pay by bank transfer, please send the correct amount to the AMULL account (sort code 40-0725, account 51370464), making sure to add the payment reference "AMULL 2012 [SURNAME, INITIALS]" (e.g. AMULL 2012— NOON, CP), so that the booking can be clearly identified. Please confirm any bank transfers by sending your booking slip either by post or e-mailing chris.noon@apollo357.com.
Chancery Bar Lodge The hosting lodge, Chancery Bar No. 2456 was founded in 1893 specifically as a closed lodge for those barristers and legal colleagues who were working at the Chancery Bar and their guests. It continues in that tradition today and meets in the magnificent 15th century Old Hall of Lincoln's Inn. Invited guests are always welcome as are members of other AMULL or other allied or professional lodges. Interested visitors should in the first instance contact the Secretary: secretary@chancerybarlodge.co.uk The Lodge meets three times a year on the last Wednesday of February and November and the third Thursday in May which is its Installation meeting.
The Great Hall at Lincoln’s Inn
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ISSUE 9
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Sports and Social News The Metropolitan Grand Chapter Stewards Demonstration Team
Any used regalia?
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he Metropolitan Grand Chapter demonstration team was founded in 2005 to demonstrate the permitted alternative ritual to those Chapters interested in being given the encouragement of seeing a ceremony worked as perfectly as possible. On 12th April in the splendid surroundings of the Grand Temple at No. 10 Duke Street, the companions of Utilitas Chapter No. 5693 and their guests from the Kent Club who had been invited along to watch, along with the Guest of Honour, Third Metropolitan Grand Principal, Excellent Companion The Rev’d Timothy L’Estrange PGStB, saw not only an excellent working from the team but a "live" ceremony as their new Companion Dmitry Drozdov was exalted into Holy Royal Arch masonry "live" rather than as a demonstration! Whilst the team work Aldersgate ritual, they do visit non-Aldersgate chapters as SUMMER 2012
well and like the Talking Heads team visiting interested lodges (see page 18), they all pay for their own supper! Any Scribes E wishing to book the demonstration team should contact E. Comp David Thompson SLGCR on david@dthompson.co.uk who can also be contacted in the first instance for those companions interested in attending the demonstration to the Chapter of Hope on 11th October 2012. Enquiries about the Demonstration of the Passing of the Veils at Sanitarian Chapter on 24th October 2012 should however be made to E. Comp. Brian Coshall PAGDC on sanitarian.chapter@ntlworld.com Finally, arena wishes to congratulate E Comp Alan Burn DSEM SLGCR PPGSN(Essex), pictured fourth from front row left, who marked his 90th birthday and 60 years as a Royal Arch Mason at the event!
here must be some unused masonic regalia hanging around in London masons' homes - if so, an opportunity is available for you to realise the value inherent in such an unused asset and to benefit the MMC at the same time! Masonic regalia of all types is accepted but clearly the preponderance is of Craft and Chapter regalia. It should be noted that the shop acts as an agency and there is no "stock" as such held by the shop itself, its role being that of bringing the potential sellers and buyers The sale is conducted directly between the buyer and seller and there is no involvement by the shop other than the original introduction. It is thus clear that Met GL has no control over and does not guarantee the quality, safety or legality of the goods offered for sale but relies on the basic good sense and honesty of the masons involved. Brethren interested in using this shop either to advertise or purchase regalia at a good price should click into the weblink at the right hand side of the home page of Porchway which takes one directly to the shop's counter. The shop is a very good idea and needs a few more brethren to advertise regalia for which they have no further use, so that the MMC can benefit! Start turfing out those drawers brethren!
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W. Bro. E. Holding
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t was not previously possible to get a picture of W. Bro Eddy Holding, PGSD Metropolitan Grand Inspector, to accompany the article on the four new Met Grand Inspectors that appeared in the Spring 2012 arena, but we are delighted to rectify that omission with the picture alongside and best wishes and congratulations to W. Bro Eddy who now gets two mentions for the price of one!
Talking Heads
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lthough this educational initiative has been around for some time now, it is still not as well known as perhaps it should be and arena is pleased to highlight its attractions. It exists to introduce the Holy Royal Arch or Chapter to new master masons or indeed to re-introduce the Order to craft masons who might have been members, or used to go but who found it difficult to understand and lapsed, or those for whom it did not "click". It does this by presenting a short playlet of an encounter between two lodge members; one an experienced Chapter mason and the other curious to know more. It covers the history of the Order, explanations of the regalia, links to the Craft, why the Royal Arch is the climax and completion of pure antient Freemasonry, the time and financial commitments involved in being a member, how to discover more and find a Chapter to join. The encounter starts in the anteroom just outside the lodge room at a Craft meeting with the two brothers just
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opening their cases and getting dressed for their meeting. It lasts for about 35 minutes and covers questions ranging from idle curiosity "why is it a separate Order?" to more personal speculations such as "might I be missing something if I don't join in!?" The teams have performed the playlet 14 times and have 10 more bookings in hand but more are welcome. Lodges which do not have specific work to do may wish to consider booking one of the Talking Heads teams but it should be mentioned that it has also been done at a blue table as well as the Metropolitan First Principals Chapter. Lodge Secretaries will be delighted to know that there is no cost involved, since the team pays for its dinner at Festive Board but a suitable donation to the MMC Cyberknife appeal is encouraged. For further details please contact either your own Lodge Chapter representative or clarkcj@btopenworld.com
Quatuor Coronati Education Initiative
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uatuor Coronati Lodge No 2076, whilst primarily a research lodge, is also interested in the future of historical research and maintaining a steady flow of brethren who are interested in the history of freemasonry and also in researching our forebears. About ten years ago the Lodge organised a series of seminars to teach aspiring researchers and writers how to proceed with their chosen subject. The latest of these seminars are being held in November 2012 , January 2013 and March 2013 with the detailed programme as shown below. The speakers are Yasha Beresiner, Dr Trevor Stewart, Dr John Wade, Dr Roger Burt and Dr James Daniel together with other full members of the lodge. If you would like to attend, please contact the Lodge Secretary, Gordon Davie at 22 Stone Road, Bromley, Kent 0208 460 2975 or email gdavie@lansdale.demon.co.uk. The cost is ÂŁ5.00 per session, with those attending all three sessions getting a rebate of ÂŁ5! MONDAY 5th NOVEMBER 2012 18:00 Welcome and Introduction by Yasha Beresiner 18:30 The Essence of Research 19:00 Discussion and Questions 19:30 Guidelines and Directives to Students 20:00 Discussion and Questions 20:30 Coffee and discussion MONDAY 7th JANUARY 2013 18:15 Welcome by the Chairman 18:30 Selecting a subject for research Trevor Stewart 18:55 Discussion and Questions 19:15 Presentation of a written paper 19:40 On the origins of Freemasonry Yasha Beresiner 20:00 Discussion and Questions 20:30 Coffee and discussion MONDAY 18th MARCH 2013 18:15 Welcome by the Chairman 18:30 Using a library for research 18:55 Discussion and Questions 19:15 Wider resources: Archives and Illustrative material 19:40 Beyond the Craft - Yasha Beresiner 20:00 Discussion and Questions 20:30 Coffee and discussion
ISSUE 9
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Connaught Club Open Reception
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tanding in the foyer of the 1st floor of Freemasons’ Hall, the memorial window at one end of the hall and the Grand Temple doors at the other, it was clear why this setting was chosen to be the venue for the annual Connaught Club Open Reception. As people started arriving in twos and threes, Club members and friends, the reception hall started filling to capacity with talk of the surroundings and what they meant to us young Freemasons who stood amongst them. The Grand Temple was the marvel behind the 3 tonne doors and it captured everybody’s attention as the doors were opened, everyone being invited to take a seat around the edge of the square pavement. Chit-chat from excited visitors as they marvelled at the décor and the mosaic ceiling came until the Connaught Club Chairman – W. Bro Jaimin Patel - brought us all to order. Jaimin introduced the three speakers of the evening: W. Bro Chris Hirst, the former Connaught Club Chairman; W. Bro Keith Mitchell, a Met Grand Inspector and W. Bro Richard Orton, the head of the Middlesex Masonic Choir.
Keith spoke on some of the pressing issues in Freemasonry today such as the importance of retaining members through Lodge Mentoring, gaining new members through open events like the one in which everyone was now sitting, and also on the importance of the online systems that we utilise within London, that of Porchway and the MetGL website. Chris talked on what the Connaught Club in particular is all about, what we stand for and what we are trying to achieve in an organisation seemingly full of older gentlemen, including answering some potentially awkward questions on the fabled ‘lady freemasons’ out there! Chris explained some of the meanings behind what the guests could actually see within the Grand Temple and how we as Freemasons associate these objects with our
everyday lives, finishing by inviting any would-be members to ask any questions that they wanted to. Finally, Richard gave an inspiring speech on the meaning and history of music and song in Freemasonry. He spoke on how we associate different songs with certain events, and how, since Freemasons used to meet in taverns, this had progressed to be part of our history. An astounding rendition of a few songs topped off an excellent set of speeches. Being led out of the Grand Temple, all of the guests were invited to stay for wine and sandwiches. A resoundingly relaxed and successful end to the evening where people were free to ask anything they desired in an amazing venue and one which truly conveyed how the Club members felt about Freemasonry.
Aldersgate Chapter of Improvement
Emulation Lodge of Improvement
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he Aldersgate Chapter of Improvement had their very successful "end of term" dinner on May 24th on the RS "Hispaniola and were addressed most interestingly by the Guest of Honour E. Comp Stuart Henderson PGStB, Met Grand Scribe E ,who spoke on "Managing Metropolitan". Thanks to Bro. Stuart for his excellent speech and E. Comp Gary Beckwith PZ for the use of the boat, were led by the CoI's President E. Comp Bill White PGStB, who also paid tribute to the work done by the officers in their indefatigable work at the regular meeting and who called upon the new generation to come forward to support this effort. Details of meetings are on Porchway but questions can also be addressed to the Scribe E, E Comp Keith Tallon PGSoj at k.tallon@sky.com
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nterested Master Mason members and non-members of this Lodge, (whether Emulation ritualists or not!) and who have not yet booked for the second of the Lodge's two annual festivals - the Preceptors festival - which has been running annually since 1907 are urged to get a move on! The Festival will take place at Freemasons' Hall on the 29th June at 16:30 at which a demonstration of the Installation and 3rd degree ceremonies will be given. The Emulation Lodge of Improvement is a ‘demonstration Lodge’ and, as such, demonstrates each of the Ceremonies, in rotation, as near as possible to the standard laid down in the original working prepared by the Lodge of Reconciliation and approved by Grand Lodge in 1816. Cost is £5 by ticket only and a further £30 for festive board which is at the Grand Connaught Rooms. The booking form is available on Porchway or by e-mail from scott.cargill@blueyonder.co.uk
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A Cabbie Lodge of Instruction increases a different kind of "The Knowledge"!
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any will know that there is a strong presence within Met GL and GC of taxi drivers, who are members of various Lodges and Chapters. There is a group of taxi driver freemasons working at Heathrow Airport who utilise the time whilst waiting for a fare in a holding area known as the “feeder park”. Often drivers can be seen with their books of ritual, both Chapter and Craft, in their cabs mumbling the words of the ritual. This is a tell-tale sign to other Masons and it would not be uncommon for friendships to be struck and the back seat of a taxi to be used for rehearsal and practise; a new kind of LOR or Lodges of Rehearsal if you will. An office facility for taxi trade representatives at Heathrow also provides the space and opportunity for tyling and impromptu “LOIs” to be held and practice of parts of various ceremonies. W. Bro Stan Marut of Canterbury Chapter No. 1635 writes "Only the other day there were five of us, one of
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whom had just become a mason, having being initiated the week before, and we were able to open and close and instruct our new brother. It was an ideal opportunity to explain to him some aspects of what he had just experienced and give it some meaning. It showed the bond that exists between masons of different rank and that we are all equal and gave him a feeling of being included even though we all belonged to different lodges. These contacts between brother masons then give rise to invitations to each other’s lodge meetings, even of becoming members of masonic colleagues' lodges or chapters and also for firmer friendships. Masonry, however, is always at the root. Joining W. Bro. Stan Marut are W. Bro Ellis OseiWusu (Elms Lodge 7587) and W.Bro Seaman (St Clair 2902 Middlesex). So, if it’s raining and there are no cabs to be found it may just be that there are one or two just finishing off rehearsal.... whilst you get drenched!
Third English Chapter ‘exported’ to Bulgaria
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ondon Royal Arch Companions recently helped the Order make an important advance in Bulgaria. With some 1700 Craft Masons in Bulgaria, the country's two Royal Arch Chapters have been struggling for some time to meet the demand for admission into the Order. Both Chapters, Treaty of Uxbridge Chapter No 8379 (Middx) and Kingsland No 1693 (MetGC) - which have a combined membership of about 75 - meet in Sofia under Dispensation from the Supreme Grand Chapter of England. In April this year, a third English Chapter was "exported" to Bulgaria to help relieve the long wait which many Bulgarian brethren have before completing their journey through "pure antient freemasonry". This took place thanks to the generous action of members of Polaris Chapter No 4407 (MetGC), which meets in London at Freemasons' Hall. They were on the point of returning their Charter to Supreme Grand Chapter last year when the opportunity arose for their Chapter to meet - under dispensation - in Bulgaria. Since then, a number of Bulgarian Masons have become Joining members of Polaris and, in April, they were invested in the senior offices including those of the three Principals, two Scribes and Treasurer. The June meeting of the Chapter will take place in Sofia when four Bulgarian candidates are expected to be Exalted and many former London members will be elected as Honorary members. A key figure in the Chapter's move to Bulgaria was Scribe E, Shirish Patel PGStB, who said "The members of the Chapter are pleased to see that it will live on, after a near-death experience, and that it will enjoy a distinguished role in the future of freemasonry in Eastern Europe. Some of the older members intend to travel to Bulgaria and attend the first meeting there - on which occasion we intend to formally present our banner together with our warmest good wishes."
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Scandinavian links with Aquila Lodge No. 5189
Members of St Johanneslogen Hammaren and Aquila Lodge with W. Bro Jon Leech PSGD, Metropolitan Grand Inspector and guest of honour
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ondon being what it is, there is always a high level of masonic visiting, both at the domestic and international levels as well as official and thus one may feel a touch blasĂŠ about yet another exchange. We are sure however that visitors with differences may be of interest to our readers, and clearly, looking at the picture alongside, one can see differences of regalia that are certainly colourful as well as interesting! Lodge Secretary Bill Sullivan reports: "Aquila Lodge already has foreign connections in that we are one of the three daughter lodges of Polish National Lodge No 534, itself created by exiled Polish aristocracy in 1846, fleeing the Russian occupation of Poland. This present-day Swedish link came out of the blue however. Prior to our meeting of May 2010 we were approached by W.Bro David Spencer-Phillips, the MetGL Overseas Liaison Officer as one of several lodges meeting on that date, to enquire if we would be interested in hosting 50 Swedish guests who had arranged a visit to London. We seized the opportunity and were put in contact with Bro Ture Magnusson who had been
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responsible for arranging the visit from the Swedish end. The meeting went well and our guests returned home with warm memories of Aquila. A reciprocal visit was arranged the following year with a magnificent schedule including attending a large 1st Degree ceremony and Festive Board where we made the acquaintance of several Norwegian Freemasons who subsequently visited us in March this year. Both sides unanimously agreed that we should try to establish a biennial arrangement with alternating venues. The recent visit was their first of this arrangement and we will be visiting them again next year. Full credit should be given to Bro Ture for the arrangements he made at both ends in effecting the recent visit, since its success was entirely down to his efforts! Shortly after the original meeting, Bro Ture took up a position working in London. The Lodge has naturally taken the opportunity to invite him to become a Joining Member of Aquila and he has settled in perfectly and indeed will be the next exaltee at the lodge's linked Chapter - Polish National Chapter No. 534.�
London Freemason honoured at No. 10
W. Bro Tom Mulholland SLGR with David Cameron and Paul Elliott
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. Bro Tom Mulholland of Queenswood, Castrum and Lillistone Manor and Finsbury Lodges recently met with David Cameron, Prime Minister at a reception organised by the Greater London Fund for the Blind. Tom, who has been blind himself since middle age is the GLFB's best fundraiser and was being honoured for his indefatigable fundraising efforts on behalf of the charity. Also attending were other supporters of the GLFB such as the ex Chelsea FC Captain, Paul Elliott MBE. We notice that Tom was not allowing Mr Cameron to get away with any coinage but only accepting the folding stuff! Well done and congratulations to Tom!!
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London Freemason joins the Oxford University rowing team. Yes, but at the age of 44?
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aving always been devoted to training and exercise from his earliest years in sports-obsessed Australia, it was no surprise that Bro. James Ditzell was trialling for the Australian Olympic rowing team in 1992, but devastated by illness he never got a chance to compete and on recovery threw himself instead into a business career at which he excelled. At the age of 39 and looking for a fresh challenge, James and his wife moved to London in 2006 and his career continued apace. In 2010 James considered that improving his business prospects with an experience-enhancing academic business course would be a good idea and decided on the M.Sc in Major Programme Management at Oxford University also recognising that he
could at least get back into good rowing shape whilst at Oxford. On considering this idea, James took it to the next stage. What if he could actually row for Oxford? He called the head coach who, (despite the fact that Sir Steven Redgrave had given up his rowing career at much the same age that James was postulating to re-start his) took him seriously and agreed that he could join the competition for the team. James tried out alongside the 50 other contenders who gave James a double-take when they realised that the bald man wasn't a coach or proud father but a competitor! You can imagine James' delight to find himself marked in the top tercile and thus a member of the Oxford rowing squad and this when competing
London Lunchtimers No.1 London masons looking for fellowship during the day have a variety of choices but one of the best is the bi-monthly meeting of LONDON LUNCHTIMERS which takes place in the upstairs dining room of the Prince of Wales in Great Queen Street. Lunchtimers is open to anyone with a positive interest in Freemasonry and one does not have to be a Freemason to attend the meetings. The normal agenda is based around conviviality but is in essence, meeting for a drink followed by lunch and a lecture on a masonically-oriented topic. The emphasis is on serving the members' interests, so those with time pressures can scurry back to the office whilst the leisured can stay to chat. Their motto is “To extend the hand of welcome and fellowship to all those with a genuine and positive interest in Freemasonry regardless of sex, creed, or any other limitation.” 22
History The group dates back to 1995, when some London Masons conversing on the CompuServe Masonry Forum, decided to meet one lunchtime for a drink. This led to a bimonthly lunchtime get together and interest spread. Interested nonMasons joined the online discussions and they were invited to attend London Lunchtimers meetings; their interest grew and several of them have now been initiated into Masonic Lodges. In 1995, W. Bros Richard Springer of Rhode Island and Vince Tillona of New Jersey, conversing in the same forum, discussed starting a similar venture in the USA. Richard started the Boston Lunchtimers #2 and Vince continued by forming the Manhattan Lunchtimers #3. The groups have all grown substantially throughout the US and globally. New Lunchtimers groups continue to form with the latest additions being in New Zealand and Australia. With the "branches" numbered now at #17,
largely against young men of 18-22! James then continued to train with the squad until the final selection when a final team was put together to compete against Cambridge and regrettably, James wasn't picked. It is sad that such determination and zeal could not have had a happier resolution, but we are left with nothing but admiration for Bro. Ditzell's achievement of being both a member of an elite rowing squad and literally entering the history books, at the age of 45. Two quotes which came out of the experience and which we reproduce below, really amused us at arena and will we trust, amuse our readers too. "Age doesn't matter to me anymore!" (James Ditzell") "My husband has the body of a 21 year old!" (Mrs Ditzell)
they must be doing something right! Lunchtimers’ Guest Speakers are popular and have included… • W. Bro Dr John Reuther – RMBI Trustee • Ms. Karen Haigh – Events Coordinator at UGLE • W. Bro Andrew Selwyn-Crome – Film & TV Actor & Producer • Ms. Siobhan McCarthy – Grand Charity • W. Bro Clive Moore – Secretary of QCCC London Lunchtimers No 1 meetings are held on the first Thursday in March, May, July, September, November (AGM) and the second Thursday in January at The Prince of Wales pub in Great Queen Street (nearest tubes Covent Garden/Holborn). The next meeting is on 5th July 2012 at 12:30 with W. Bro Tony Wright in the Chair. Details are always posted on the internet at www.lunchtimers.org in advance of each meeting and those interested in attending should contact W. Bro Mike Pinfield, secretary@lunchtimers.org who can provide further details. ISSUE 9
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What’s “The Allied” all about? Continuing in its series of articles on the additional degrees, arena takes a look at “The Order of the Allied Masonic Degrees of England and Wales and Districts and Councils Overseas”, colloquially referred to as " The Allied". On the 9th August 1879 at 3pm in the Alexandra Palace, a meeting of the Metropolitan Lodge of the Order of St Lawrence took place. It was at this meeting that the Grand Council of the Order of the Allied Masonic Degrees of England and Wales and its Districts and Councils Overseas was constituted. This Order as we currently know it has five distinct degrees • • • • •
St Lawrence the Martyr Knights of Constantinople Grand Tilers of Solomon Red Cross of Babylon Grand High Priest.
The history of the Order was written in “A Century of the Allied Masonic Degrees” by Harry Prestige in 1979 and subsequently updated and revised by Frederick Smyth in 1999. This is a fascinating insight into the Order, the Masons who have been instrumental in its first 120 years, and the interactions with other Masonic bodies. The regalia of the order is quite
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simply a breast jewel. A separate jewel exists for each degree which is used in the degree ceremony and brethren then wear either the miniature jewels or the composite jewel (see inset picture). All candidates join the order by taking the degree of St Lawrence the Martyr which, we are told, commemorates the martyrdom of this saint in Rome on 10 August 258AD. St Lawrence is widely venerated by Christians and a reliquary containing the remains of his head is displayed in the Vatican on his saint’s day, 10th August. A shrine in Rome contains the actual instrument of St Lawrence’s death, whilst the stone on which his body was lain after death is displayed in the Church of San Lorenzo in Panisperna. In London, the Church of St Lawrence Jewry stands next to the Guildhall and is near enough for a visit by those interested in deepening their understanding of the Saint, his martyrdom, and its deeper significance. The Allied has some interesting differences to other Orders in that
after having taken the first degree the others may be taken in any order and at any Council under the jurisdiction of Grand Council. It is recommended to take Grand High Priest last but this is not mandatory. On completion of all five a very colourful certificate is awarded with pictures of the jewel of each degree along with details of when and at which Council the degree was taken. The degree of Knights of Constantinople is a short ceremony and, according to Prestige, originated as a real “side” degree, as in its earliest days it could be given by a Brother who already had it, and then by taking another Brother aside, he would obligate the candidate and entrust him with the secrets. Grand Tilers of Solomon, or Masons Elect of Twenty Seven, is set within King Solomon’s temple, at the time that King Solomon was alive. Red Cross of Babylon is arguably the most mystically profound of the five Allied Masonic degrees, and teaches us to keep inviolate all our Masonic secrets and resist all temptations to reveal them. Grand High Priest originates from the time when degrees of all sorts were conferred under the Warrants of the “Antient” craft lodges. The ceremony is very dramatic and is both profound and spiritual in nature. Presiding over the Order is a Grand Master, R.W Bro Thomas Firth 23
Jackson, who was recently installed by his predecessor, R.W. Bro Michael Edward Herbert at the Annual Meeting of Grand Council in October 2011. R.W Bro Jackson is also a Past Senior Grand Deacon in UGLE, Past Grand Standard Bearer in Supreme Grand Chapter, Grand Junior Warden in the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons and also holds high rank in many of the other additional Orders. In total there were just under 6000 members in the Order under the direction of this Grand Council as at August 2011. Candidates are required to be members of the Craft, Royal Arch and the Mark degree. The degrees are an interesting mix of the floor work of Mark with the rich and colourful symbolism of Royal Arch, and are partly set within the context of events referred to in the Craft degrees. The degrees are rather like stepping back in time to the period when characters referred to in Craft rituals were still alive. For example King Solomon and Hiram King of Tyre both feature in the Grand Tilers of Solomon degree. The Order is organised into Districts, and the District of London is presided over by a District Grand Prefect, R.W Bro Colin Robin Woodcock, MBE. It is interesting that the term District Grand Prefect is used as opposed to District Grand Master. If any reader knows why this should be the case then please do write in to the letters page and share this information! In total there are currently 28 Districts each with a District Grand Prefect and collectively presiding over 218 Councils. There are ten councils within the London District, the oldest being Metropolitan Council and the youngest being Londinium Matutinas Council which both meet at Mark Masons’ Hall. Further information on the order may be obtained from the Grand Secretary at Mark Masons’Hall whose new website address is www.glmmm.com
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OPINION: As part of arena’s series of thoughts, views and ideas from senior masons W. Bro Jeffrey Monickendam PSGD of Friars Lodge No.1349 writes...
T
he Ancient Charges state, 11. You admit that it is not in the power of any Man or Body of Men to make any Alteration or Innovation in the Body of Masonry without the consent first obtained of the Grand Lodge. While I understand that it is very important to maintain uniformity in ritual matters, which enables us all to be comfortable in a craft lodge wherever it may be, I have witnessed demonstrations of degree ceremonies given by Scottish and Irish brethren, which recall those rituals which were practiced before the 1813 Union. They are vibrant, evocative and rumbustious, and when approached with the enthusiasm that I have had the pleasure to witness, they underscore the serious intent, hidden meaning and sheer fun that can be had with this type of ceremony. This is not to say that I don’t thoroughly enjoy the craft: indeed a well delivered ceremony gives a great deal of pleasure to everyone, but the symbolism is more covert, and requires some research before even a moderate understanding of the philosophy and hidden meanings is revealed. Is it not possible to adopt some of the more dramatic elements from the other constitutions? As we are permitted to join in their assemblies, and their ritual practices are approved by their Grand Lodges, would it constitute innovation to include some elements that enlighten the minds of our brethren, the better to demonstrate Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth?
As an illustration of what the ritual was like before the Union here are some extracts from Three Distinct Knocks, by Samuel Pritchard 1760. This is the prayer at the beginning of the ceremony of Initiation. “O Lord God, add to our Faith Virtue, and to Virtue Knowledge, and to Temperance Prudence, and to Prudence Patience, and to Patience Godliness, and to Godliness Brotherly Love, and to Brotherly Love Charity, and grant O Lord that Masonry be blessed throughout the World, and thy Peace be upon us, O Lord; and grant that we may be united as one…” And from the Obligation – “I furthermore do swear that I will not write it, cut it, paint it or stint it, mark it, stain it, or engrave it, or cause it to be done, upon any Thing moveable or immoveable, under the Canopy of Heaven…” And.. “Master: Brother, you told me you gave Three distinct Knocks at the Door: Pray what do they signify? Ans: A certain Text in Scripture. Master: What is that Text, Brother? Ans: Ask, and you shall have; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” This should serve to illustrate how some of the colour and explanation has been taken out of our modern ritual, and as it pre-existed the Union, as do the Scottish and Irish rituals, would it really be considered as innovation to introduce a more vibrant ceremony, in both movement and ritual?
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Charity News "Running total" continues to climb at Cyberknife thanks to No. 1731!
W
. Bro Darren Selkus LGR, DC of Cholmeley Lodge No. 1731 recently ran the 26.2 miles of the London Marathon on behalf of the Priory of England of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller, who are kindly donating the sponsorship proceeds together with other monies raised by Cholmeley of c. £5,300 to the MMC towards the current Cyberknife appeal. This is after completing the Milton Keynes Half Marathon on the 4th March and before he and other members of Lodge No 1731 take part in the St. Albans 5K dressed as Roman Centurions; the British 10K London Run on the 8th July and the Spartan Race on 29th July. As Darren commented "it
may be a few days before my legs and knees recover, but I'm looking forward to getting back into training for the London 10K in July and running with Team 1731!". The Grand Master of the Order of Saint John, Knights Hospitaller – HRH Prince Karl Vladimir Karadgordgevic of Yugoslavia GCSJ – has decided to award W. Bro Selkus the Medal of Merit of Saint John (MMSJ) which is a personal award in His gift. This medal is only very rarely awarded to anyone outside of the Order and is being awarded for Bro. Darren's fundraising efforts through running. Best wishes and hearty congratulations as always!
Met GL Golf Society - Annual Golf Day 3 rd August 2012 SUMMER 2012
D
uring the past three years, the West London Masonic Centre has organised an annual Golf day with the help of a small committee of golfers and non-golfers alike and raised over £12,000 for charity whilst playing. This year, the annual golf day is being co-ordinated with the Metropolitan Grand Lodge Golf Society. The Metropolitan Grand Master RW Russell Race will be distributing the prizes and the event will be
held at the Aldenham Golf and Country Club in Hertfordshire. If previous success is anything to go by, the proposed "full house" of 72 golfers will be reached quickly but prospective players may also wish to know that there are 20 non-golfer places also available for supporting wives, partners and friends. For further details on the venue and booking, please turn to the advertisement on page 11.
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Summer Cyberknife Sponsorships The MMC cyberknife appeal continues to roll on and as of going to screen had £300,000 left to raise but with the efforts of the following brethren and friends, we consider that we should hit the target in good time. We provide here a selection of ways to fund the Cyberknife appeal...
Gemma and Sophie climb Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of the Cyberknife appeal
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emma Horne and Sophie Ben-Harosh are both daughters of London masons (W. Bro Jonathan Horne of Golden Rule, 1261 and W. Bro Sami Ben-Harosh (and Grandfather - W. Bro Stanley Davis!) of Montefiore Lodge, 1017) and in academic gap years. Looking around for a worthwhile cause to support, the women were aware of the work being done by the Cyberknife through their fathers' masonry and, since Gemma's own grandfather had been affected by cancer, it seemed an ideal "cause" to support. Both being sporty, but not particularly interested in running marathons, they felt that climbing Kilimanjaro
as an alternative to the usual Marathon sponsorship would be a good idea and worth the challenge, especially since their friend Sophia had been there before and advised them about its potential. They have both been very pleased by the strong support they have had both from family and friends but also from masons. They are currently just under the £6,000 mark and hope to exceed their target of £8,000 in total. Brethren, if you want a "different" way of supporting the cyberknife, then you need look no further than their donation web-link shown below! http://uk.virginmoneygiving.c om/team/SophieGemma
Is your Lodge up to the challenge?
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11.30am with a break for you to get some lunch, with the Quiz afternoon starting at 2pm. There will be chances to win prizes during the event and all monies raised during the day will go to charity. Tables are limited and will be for 6 – 8 people and the price will be £15 per person. Due to limited numbers available please book early, and anyone interested in either of these events and wanting further information please contact W. Bro Richard Goodwin LGR on r.goodwin@btinternet.com or 07768 567612
Tour & Quiz in aid of Cyberknife and other London charities
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ater this year Mercurius Lodge No.4262 will be hosting two special fun charity fund-raising events in aid of the Cyberknife Appeal and other London Charities. The events will be on Saturday 8th September and Saturday 10th November at Freemasons’ Hall, London. A fun-packed quiz afternoon will be preceded by a tour of Grand Lodge (limited spaces available), with more spaces available in September than in November. Cheese and Wine refreshments will be provided during the afternoon and all the family are welcome. The Grand Lodge tour will start at
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The 2012 Capital to Coast Cycle Challenge for Charity Sunday 1 st July 2012 There is still room why not get a team together with your fellow Lodge members, keep fit and raise vital funds for Metropolitan Grand Lodge’s CyberKnife Appeal* together with Norwood and The Down’s Syndrome Association? The Capital to Coast Cycle Challenge for Charity is now in its 17th year. This event is hosted by Lodge of Endeavour for Norwood Ravenswood No. 5506 and is a stunning cycle journey to Brighton, through some of England’s most gorgeous countryside with a choice of starts from 30 miles away to the more challenging 75 miles! You can alternatively enter as an individual or join up with another Lodge team. The ride is clearly signposted and fully supported by volunteer marshals and mechanics and there are plenty of free roadside refreshment stops. Ample parking facilities are available at Esher College and Handcross School (Haywards Heath) and they also have coaches and lorries to transport you and your bike from North London to the start of the 60 mile ride at Esher College and at the end of the ride from Brighton back to Esher College. The suggested minimum amount for each participant to raise (including each member of a team) is £200, (£100 for under 16’s.) For more information and to register individually or as a team, contact us on 020 8420 6944 or email info@capitaltocoast.org.uk or W. Bro. Stephen Gold - Charity Steward of Lodge of Endeavour for Norwood Ravenswood 5506 - on sgoldprop@aol.com or register direct at: http://www.norwoodforms.co.uk/Challenges/RegistrationFor ms/CTC/CTC2012MasonicLodges.aspx *50% of net funds raised by Lodge members will be allocated to the CyberKnife Appeal.
W. Bro Paddy Belton plans epic country length Cyberknife cycleride... And somewhat later this year W. Bro Paddy Belton, WM of Lodge of Assistance 2773, starts his epic cycle ride in aid of the CyberKnife appeal from Land's End to John O' Groats, taking in Bristol along the way (see http://bit.ly/LoonCycle for itinerary details). This is an eleven day marathon, stopping each evening to enjoy hospitality and shelter at a different Lodge each evening. We hope to carry a full report including photographs of before and after in a later edition of arena. In the interim, do have a look at his donations website at: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/cyberknifecycle
London Bikers help Prince Edward Duke of Kent Court, Stisted Hall
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he Iceni Chapter of the "Widows Sons", the Masonic Bikers Association are a group of freemasons from London, Essex & Hertfordshire. They are organising a Balloon Race in Aid of the RMBI's Stisted Hall Retirement Home, whose annual summer garden party is on Sunday 22 July 2012. £100 is reserved for the WINTER 2012
person whose balloon travels the farthest and £25 going to the person who returns the Ticket. Tickets can be obtained at a cost of £2 by email to icenichapter@live.co.uk The Chapter are also looking for Master Masons who like riding their
motorbikes (over 500 CC or a Classic). If you live in London, Essex or Hertfordshire please get in touch at the above e-mail address! 27
T H E M E N AT T H E T O P :
DERRICK SILVER It could easily be said that freemasonry is in the blood for Derrick Silver, coming as he does from a fourth-generation masonic family (and he has 2 grandsons on whom he is keeping a fond grandfatherly eye!) but his entrance into freemasonry was not as immediate as one might have imagined...
A
V W Bro Derrick Silver at about the time of his initiation into Freemasonry
lthough he had known many of his father's lodge members since early childhood as "Uncle X" and "Uncle Y", from the many informal rehearsal meetings in the front parlour and from Ladies' Nights etc., he knew he didn't want to join masonry because there weren't any younger people in it. One evening his father came home from a lodge meeting and said "I saw your friend Kenny tonight"..."Where?", said Derrick and was surprised to be told that Kenny was a member of a Lodge that Derrick’s father had visited. Derrick had had no idea that his close friend was a Freemason! Fired with curiosity and knowing now that he already had a good friend who was a mason, he joined and immediately loved it (or carried on his family's tradition, whichever way you look at it!). Unluckily or luckily, his father being the Preceptor of the lodge LOI, meant that there was literally no place to hide and Derrick remembers being drilled to know the Charge to the Initiate whilst walking down the promenade in Brighton before he had been passed to the
Masonic Career 1972 Initiated into Love and Unity Lodge No. 5354, aged 27 1973 Exalted into Royal George Chapter No. 3539 1982 WM, Love and Unity Lodge No. 5354 in its 50th anniversary year (also WM for 75th anniversary too!) 1983 Joined Euclid Lodge of Installed Masters,No.7464 (WM 2004) 1986 MEZ, Royal George Chapter No. 3539 in its 50th anniversary year (also MEZ in 1993) 1995 LGCR 1997 LGR, SLGCR and joined Jurist Lodge No. 6398 (WM:2003)
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second degree. Fair enough one might say, but having to do it before one has even been passed oneself is perhaps a tad unusual! On the business side, Derrick has been a solicitor for 43 years, having been articled to Tringhams, a sole practitioner on leaving Quintin Grammar School. Having been formally admitted a solicitor in 1970 and become a valuable member of the firm with good clients of his own Derrick explained to his then Principal in 1975 that he wished to go it alone and was astounded to be offered the practice as the Principal wished to concentrate on managing his property portfolio. In establishing himself as the new sole practitioner at Tringhams, Derrick recounts that he took on every kind of work offered, including registering as the duty solicitor at Marylebone Magistrates Court! He even once had to travel by private jet to Nigeria, to read the will of a client to the assembled family and was set upon by one of the client's disappointed and consequently enraged wives! Tringhams continued to flourish
1999 SLGR 2000 Joined Fratres Calami No. 3791 (WM: 2009) PAGDC (Chapter) 2001 PAGReg 2004 PDepGSuptWks; Dep. Chmn Scarborough Group, PGSoj 2006 PGSuptWks; Chmn Scarborough Group; Joined Britannic Lodge No. 33 2007- present Assistant Metropolitan Grand Master; PGSwdB in both the Craft and the RA Is an honorary member of several other lodges and in Mark and RAM (currently WM in Mark & Commander in the RAM!)
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arena until 2006 when Derrick, faced with the additional demands on his time that masonry was making, decided to merge the practice with Rochman Landau ; in March of this year Rochman Landau merged with Ashfords LLP , a top 100 name. Derrick remains a consultant with the merged firm acting as a senior "rainmaker". Coming back to our opening statement about masonry being in Derrick's blood, it is interesting not only to note the mini-preceptory at home but also that his mother was a member of .the Lodge of Strength (Women Freemasons) and that in an interesting twist to what we are all used to, Derrick gave, when only a Master Mason, the response for the visitors, at a "Gentlemen's Night" organised by his mother's lodge! Entering Chapter in 1973 he was immediately seen as keen and given rapid promotion, but ironically he recalls, he was kept as PS for several years as his superbly home-schooled rendition was too good! Having gained GR in Chapter in 2000
Derrick was firstly appointed as a VGO in the Richmond Group and when he obtained GR in Craft the following year joined the Ripon Group where he served as a VGO until 2003; that year saw the coming into being of Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Derrick was then appointed the Deputy Chairman of the Scarborough Group and was further promoted by Russell Race, then Deputy Metropolitan Grand Master to Chairman of the group in 2006. It is interesting to note that in 2003 Derrick was asked to speak "in favour" of the setting up of Metropolitan Grand Lodge when the topic was formally debated and decided in Grand Lodge which adds some lustre to the Metropolitan Founder's Jewel that he wears with such pride. Promoted under the new structure in 2007 to become one of the Assistant Metropolitan Grand Masters/Superintendents in 2007, Derrick's responsibilities were focused on the Chapter side and he continues to devote himself to the
development of the Holy Royal Arch in London with day to day responsibility of half of the six hundred plus Chapters in London as well as a plethora of other jobs. One of these jobs, and one that Derrick enjoys hugely, is chairing the London Forum on behalf of the Metropolitan Grand Master and having the opportunity to nurture some of the younger members who may well be amongst our future leaders. Away from masonry, he is kept busy with plenty of charitable work as a Trustee and volunteer; travel; reading and watching cricket and tennis and of course, spending time with his three grand children and hoping the two boys on which we reported at the beginning of this article, may carry forward that Silver masonic tradition "from generation to generation"!
Five things you didn't know about VW. Bro. Derrick Silver PGSwdB:
1 Was a fully paid-up member of the Junior Magic Circle as a child. 2 Trains with a personal trainer once a week 3 Won the pilot case against Distillers Company in the 1970s (the famous "Thalidomide" case) 4 Frequent flyer on Concorde in the 1980s for US-related business in Washington / New York 5 Likes RosĂŠ Champagne
SUMMER 2012
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M A S O N I C C I T Y:
The Devil Tavern, Fleet Street Continuing our series on masonic London by W. Bro Yasha Beresiner PGStB
Union Lodge No 8 met at the Devil Tavern.
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ondon’s Freemasons’ Hall began its life as a Tavern on the same site that it now stands proud and majestic. It is today the home of the United Grand Lodge of England and of more than two hundred thousand Freemasons in England and Wales and it lies just outside the boundaries of the Square Mile. Great Queen Street, where Grand Lodge occupies no less than two and a quarter acres of land, runs between Covent Garden and Kingsway, almost an extension of Long Acre. Grand Lodge is an imposing building in the art deco style, situated in the very heart of the capital. The present building was completed in 1933 and is dedicated to the memory of the three thousand two hundred and twenty five British Freemasons who died on active service in the First World War. It was known as The Masonic Peace Memorial and reverted to the name Freemasons'
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Hall at the outbreak of war in 1939. As mentioned in my article in the Spring 2012 issue of Arena, it is the third hall built on the same site. The first Freemasons’ Hall consisted of two adjoining houses purchased in 1775 by the Premier Grand Lodge. Thomas Sandby (1721-1798), the architect, engineer and draughtsman, was appointed to amalgamate the houses with a Grand Hall between them. The resulting building had The Freemasons’ Tavern as a frontage. Great Queen Street is depicted on the Agas map of London dated 1560. The map shows it as a track cutting across Aldwych. By 1612 it had become the first regular street in London noted for the many brick houses. It was first named Queen’s Street in honour of Queen Anne of Denmark (1574-1619), who was consort to King James I. Historians are still arguing as to why the street should have been built in the first place. Both the east and west of the street initially ran into fields, although the thoroughfare soon developed into a sophisticated residential area. By 1658 it was fully built up with some distinguished residents. The old Holbourne or Old Bourne, meaning a stream, was the first of the estates purchased by the Knights Templar in 1128, before they moved to the Temple in 1162. In the 17th century this area was considered the wealthy district of London.
The most overt early Masonic presence in the City of London is to be found in the one-time preponderance of 17th and 18th century taverns and inns in which Freemasons met. A ‘tavern’ was a drinking and eating establishment only, whilst an ‘inn’ had additional facilities to accommodate overnight stay in suitable chambers. The Devil’s Tavern in London’s Fleet Street is a good example. It would have been as typical of these taverns as any. It was originally named The Devil and St Dunstan because of its proximity to the church of St Dunstan, the Saxon patron saint of goldsmiths. He is often depicted carrying pincers in his right hand to recall the medieval legend of the time when he seized the devil by the nose with his red-hot pincers. The Devil tavern was there before the fire of London of 1666. In its structure it would have been similar to the Goose and Gridiron Tavern where the Grand Lodge of England was formed in June 1717. It was a large convoluted building with nineteen hearths dispersed in as many rooms. In spite of its location at the edge of Fleet Street, it was considered to be a City tavern frequented by intellectuals such as Samuel Johnson, John Evelyn, Christopher Wren and it is not surprising to find that the Premier Grand Lodge of England also met there. Although there are no records of ISSUE 9
the early meetings of the Freemasons following the formation of Grand Lodge, Anderson’s second Constitutions of 1738 gives us details of events in the previous years. On page 119 he reports on the meeting held under Grand Master Charles Lennox, Duke of Richmond and Lennox: Grand Lodge (met) in due Form at the Devil Temple Bar 20 May 1725 with former Grand Officers and those of 38 Lodges. D G Master Folkes in the Chair prompted a most agreeable Communication. Martin Folkes (1690-1754), the English antiquary, President of the Royal Society in 1741, was Deputy Grand Master in 1724. This was two years after the earliest recorded Masonic meeting at The Devil. Lodge number 25 was consecrated at The Devil in 1724 and erased in 1745; the Union Lodge warranted in 1734 met here and was erased in 1744. So did Lodge 115 in 1729, which moved to Daniel’s coffee house in Fleet Street in 1735. These are just a few examples. Grand Lodge returned to The Devil on 24 June 1727. By now proper minutes were being kept and the entry, as an example of several later meetings also held at The Devil for this date, reads:
arena Barford who, in turn, gave up ownership in 1668 in favour of Richard Taylor. The next ownership recorded is by Messrs Child the bankers who purchased it and rebuilt their Bank on the same site in 1788. Next time you attend your LOI or Lodges meeting in a pub, bear in mind the long and distinguished tradition which your Lodge is following. Grateful thanks also to the Library and Museum of Freemasonry for permission to use these images.
[Earl of Inchiquin, G.M.] At a Quarterly Communication held at the Devil Tavern at Temple Bar on Saturday the 24th of June 1727. Present. The Rt Hon. the Earl of Inchiquin Grand Master Wm Cowper Esq D.G.Master Alexander Chocke Esq G. Warden W'.n Burdon Esq G. Warden The Minutes of the Last Quarterly Communication were read. Then the Grand Mar. Nominated George Payne, Martin ffolkes (sic) and ffrancis (sic) Sorell Esq to be three of the Commee (sic) of Seven for Managing the Bank of Charity pursuant to the Minutes of the 10th of May last. . . In 1640 the Vintner Wadlow purchased The Devil and sold it, twenty-one years later, to Jonathon SUMMER 2012
The Devil Tavern (on the left in front of old Temple Bar) on Fleet Street
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A N D F I N A L LY. . .
Musings from W. Bro. Phil E. Stein In which we eavesdrop on the private correspondence between W. Bro. Warren-Peace and W. Bro. Stein, two long-retired, experienced and "free-thinking" London masons as they exchange thoughts on matters masonic....if you feel you want to join in or comment on any of their outrageous comments, please feel free to use the Letters column as always... Sebastian, You must stop whinging about technology. I've never met a bigger technophobe! You didn't complain when you were given that bionic hip joint replacement last year and the insides of that new car of yours actually resemble the controls of the Starship Enterprise. As for you comparing yourself to Pavarotti, you may, (as you often do), forget that my dear Martha and I experienced your Sunday morning howling when we visited you and Elspeth last Easter. Martha thought the next door's cat was on heat! I'm not surprised that poor Elspeth disappears into the garden when you start your yowling. It's only time until your neighbours apply for an ASBO. Mark my words. I also endured some unpleasantries when some years ago, I too had the dubious pleasure of attending, as a guest, at a Lodge in the Provinces. It was poorly attended; and perhaps after I tell you about my visit, you'll understand why. I remember that evening particularly vividly as it was held in a rather small Masonic hall with next to no parking facilities. When I got there, only one very tight parking space was left because 'someone', with no regard for others, had parked his grotty old banger across two bays. Although the space was tight, I was determined to get in at all costs. And I would have parked perfectly had it not been for the sun blinding me in the rear view mirror, which caused me to scratch the side of my pristine classic car against his rust bucket. I later found out that the chap, whose banger I'd slightly dented was the lodge secretary. He was not in the least bit apologetic for causing the accident Sebastian. In
fact, he seemed to think it was my fault! By that time proceedings were about to start so the secretary and I were the last to enter. He ushered me, rather roughly I must add, into the Lodge room at the beginning of the meeting and I was thrust into the front row just beside his desk. Looking around, I saw a rather tatty old Lodge banner in desperate need of repair - somewhat like your dentures Sebastian! My Martha still laughs when she recalls the time you bit into that toffee apple and left your teeth in it! Anyway, getting back to the Lodge meeting, not only did they have the tatty banner hanging rather lopsidedly over the Master's chair, they lacked an organ! Now in my view, a lodge without music is like Wimbledon without the tennis! I tutted to myself and settled down, in an attempt to forget the road traffic accident I'd just had. Just as I began to doze off, a noise not dissimilar to the anguish of hell itself (or to your singing) pierced my
eardrums and caused me to jump at least a foot in the air. I nearly fell off my chair for just behind me, a loudspeaker had just angrily vented the first notes of the opening ode at such a volume that I'm sure we could have been heard in the neighbouring village. Turning round I realised I'd been placed, (on purpose I'm sure) directly behind the speaker, and the secretary was controlling the music (if that's what you want to call it) using a computer machine on his desk. I'm sure I noticed him smirk vengefully when he apologised to me and the lodge for the volume, which he immediately adjusted to a more bearable tone. As a true English Gentleman, I was determined not to show any further reaction to this obvious provocation so I joined in with the Ode, which thankfully wasn't too long. I thought that would be it but he seemed to have a random tune for just about every part of the meeting. It was torturous Sebastian. I was certain it couldn't get any worse, but my word was I wrong. My pacemaker was once again tested, this time by the Master's and Wardens' gavelling. I tell you Sebastian, I honestly thought their pedestals would fall apart when they started hammering as they did. I think they must have found it humorous to make such a racket. I simply found it deeply annoying and told them so immediately after the meeting. Those youngsters sheepishly apologised but I'm not sure they fully appreciated how irritating it was. Why must today's youth find noise so appealing Sebastian? All that banging and screeching is simply not on - don't you agree? S&F Philip